Retractable sound reproduction device,particularly for sound film editing and cutting machines



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RETRACTABLE; SOUND REPRODUCTION DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FORSOUND FILM EDITING AND CUTTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 21. 1967 SSheets-Sheet'l INVENTOR.

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RETRAQTABLE SQUND REPRODUCTION DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR SOUND FILM EDITING AND CUTTING MACHINES 7 Filed Feb. 21 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet; 5

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United States Patent 3,498,617 RETRACTABLE SOUND REPRODUCTION DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR SOUND FILM EDITING AND CUTTING MACHINES Giuseppe Pesciarelli, Via L.A. Vassallo, 68,

Rome, Italy Filed Feb. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 617,707 Claims priority, application Italy, Feb. 25, 1966, 4,110/66 Int. Cl. G11b 27/06 US. Cl. 274-1 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sound reproduction device, mounted on a vertically movable platform and retractable through appropriate openings in the working plane of a movieola, from its operating position to a position wherein the tops of its components form a continuous plane with said working plane of the movieola.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The invention refers to improvements relating to film editing and cutting machines, so-called movieolas and particularly to their sound reproduction system. During the film editing and cutting work performed on known movieolas, said system, together with its guide rollers, is not only unnecessary, but even in the way during the editing and mounting of the image sequences of the film. This is especially true for movieolas equipped with several sound heads or those built for editing films of various gages, wherein the sound systems occupy a considerable portion of the working plane.

It is therefore an object of the invention to eliminate this disadvantage of known movieolas by providing a sound reproduction device and its accessory parts which is retractable till the tops of its components form a continuous surface with the working plane of the movieola and, when needed, can be easily and quickly lifted and secured to the exact working level required.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a working plane for said editing machines which is adapted to be equipped with and to cooperate with said sound reproduction device, to permit its retraction, lifting and accurate adjustment to the level required by the film being edited.

It is still a further object of the invention to supply a movieola incorporating said retractable sound reproduction device and the working plane cooperating with it.

For a purely exemplificative and in no way limitative purpose, some embodiments of the invention will be described in the following as applied to a movieola having a single, adjustable sound reproduction unit for 16 mm. and 35 mm. sound films.

In the attached drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational, partly sectional view of a first embodiment of the invention, showing it in its lifted position.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational vie-w of its retracted position.

FIGURE 3 is a partial elevational vie-w of the device rotated 90 with respect to FIGURE 1 showing the application of a mechanical drive to it.

FIGURE 4 is a partial elevational view of a second embodiment.

FIGURE 5 is a partial top view of the movieola table, with the second embodiment in the retracted position.

The device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a scanning drum 1 and sets of guide rollers for the 35 mm. and 16 mm. gage films. For the sake of clarity, only one guide roller of each set is shown. Drum 1, the guide roll- 3,498,617 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 ICC ers 2 for the 35 mm. film and the guide rollers 3 for the 16 mm. film are mounted on a common platform 6, which is vertically sliadable as by guide bushings 15 on a number of guide bars 17 depending from the plate 13 which forms the working plane of the movieola. The drum 1 and the sets of guide rollers 2 and 3 can be lifted and lowered through mating openings 7, 9 and 11 respectively in plate 13- The lower ends of the guide bars 17 are fastened as by screws 19 to a spacing ring in mutually parallel relationships.

Drum 1 can be of any known suitable type, either fixed or adjustable to various film gages and sound tracks. The drum represented in these examples has a top portion 1a which can be adjusted either to form a channel for 16 mm. films, as here shown, or raised to form a channel for 35 mm. films. The photocell in it can be shifted to the level of two light gates, shown in FIGURE 4, or the drum can be rotated to bring instead two magnetic heads into operating position. Such a drum is known, and used in these examples for its versatility. However, as stated, the invention is not conditioned and limited to its application. Each guide roller 2 and 3 is rotatably mounted on a spindle 23 and 25 respectively. Each spindle is slidable through plate 6 within matching bushings 27 and 29 respectively, provided in the support plate 6- The vertical displacement of each spindle with respect to the support plate 6 is limited by stops. Bottom stops 31 and 33 can be adjusted to a proper position on the lower ends of spindles 23 and 25 respectively as by set screws 35 and coact with the ends of bushings 27 and 29. Disk-shaped upper stops 37 and 39 are applied to the top of spindles 23 and 25 respectively as by screws 41, and coact with matching steps 9a and 11a in the rims of apertures 9 and 11 respectively to be retained therein flush with the top of the working plane 13, when plate 6 is lowered.

For the purposes of the accurate positioning and centering of the guide rollers 2 and 3 within their corresponding apertures, when they are lifted to their topmost or operating position shown in FIGURE 1, each spindle carries, beneath the rollers, a centering element, within which it rotates. Each centering element consists of a cylindrical collar portion 47 and 49 resp. of a diameter larger than the maximum diameters of the apertures 9 and 11 resp., which collars, by abutting against the bottom surface of plate 13, define the operating level of the respective guide rollers 2 and 3, and of conical portions 43 and 45 resp. coacting with matching flared surfaces in the rims of apertures 9 and 1 1 resp. to bring about the accurate centering and lateral stability of the sqindles 23 and 25 in said uppermost position of the device.

Plate 6 and the elements it supports can be fastened in its topmost position by any known means, such as click-stops, etc. The solution shown in the figures is particularly simple, and formed by a permanent magnet 51, fastened to plate 6, which is retained either directly by movieola working plate 13 or, as here shown, by a piece of magnetic material 53 fastened to said plate.

Spring means are interposed between ring plate 21 and the components of the device. In the figures, helical springs 55 are coiled around the guide bars 17, and another spring 57 is fastened at a point in the periphery of ring plate 21. When, on depressing the system, magnet 51 is detached from its mating element 53, these springs cushion the fall of the device. When the device is depressed to its lowermost position, a lock will block it there against the upward pressure of the compressed springs. When, on the other hand, this lock is released, the springs will raise the device sufiiciently over plate 13 to permit it to be gripped by hand and lifted to its working position. Such a stop may be of any known type, such as a click stop, and is therefore not shown in the drawings.

As already mentioned, the uppermost level, to which the device must be lifted to attain its operating position, is defined by the contact between the lower surface of the movieola plate 13 and the upper surface of collars 47 and 49. The lowermost position of drum 1, in which its top is flush with plate 13, is defined, as indicated in FIGURE 2, by the nesting of disks 37 and 39 in 9a and 11a. During the descent of platform 6, the conical parts 43 and 45 are disengaged from their seats in apertures 9 and 11 resp. when the ends of bushings 27 and 29 strike in succession stops 31 and 33 resp. and entrain thereby spindles 23 and 25 downwards.

The embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 is identical to that just described, except that mechanical drive means are provided for its displacements.

The drive mechanism shown in FIGURE 3 comprises a vertical lead screw 61 journaled under plate 13 and meshing with the lead nut 63 rigid with plate 6. The lower end of lead screw 61 carries a bevel gear 73 which meshes with another bevel gear 71 driven by any known type of motor (not shown). The ends of the upward and downward movement of the platform can be determined by limit switches, in a 'manner which is per se known and therefore not shown, not further described. Alternately, the lead screw 61 can be rotated manually by a handwheel 65 fastened to its upper end and received within a recess 67 in plate 13. To wheel 65 is fulcrumed a handle 69 which, when not needed, is received within a matching groove provided in the surface of wheel 65'.

The embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 and differs from those of the precedent figures, by a different conformation of the platform, which is extended in order to also support, slidably in it, a lamp housing 78. It further differs by the provision of guide means and abutments for said lamp housing in the movieola working plane 13.

As shown in FIGURE 4, platform 6' carries for this purpose a lateral extension in the form of a bracket 83. It contains a bore 85 within which the base 87 of the lamp housing '78 is guided with a slide fit. A flange 89 of the lamp housing 78 acts as a lower limit stop for the latter. Two pins depend from a disk 99 fastened to the lower end of a shaft 101 journaled in plate 13 and rotated by turning a knob 103 secured to the upper end of said shaft. The longer pin, when rotated into the upward path of a flange 73, extending laterally from said lamp housing, defines exactly the position in which the light beam 105, directed by the lens system 81 of the lamp housing, will correspond to light gate 77 for 16 mm. film optical sound tracks. Similarly the shorter pin 95 will define that lamp housing position, in which the beam will be level with the 35 mm. light gate 75. Any angular displacement of lamp housing 78 around its longitudinal axis is prevented by two diametrically opposite guides 107 provided in the cylindrical surface of the lamp housing 78, which engage in corresponding slots 109 cut in the periphery of opening 91, within which the lamp housing moves with a tight fit. The lamp housing can be tightened in the selected position by any known and therefore not represented means, such as any conventional tightening nut.

Obviously, the lamp housing 78, whose presence is only necessary when working on films having an optical sound track, can be rendered completely independent from platform 6, so that it remainsin the retracted position when magnetic sound tracks are being handled. This independency can be attained very simply by eliminating bracket 83 and collar 89, and providing the top of the lamp housing with any suitable finger hold.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiments must be therefore considered in all respects as purely illustrative and in no way restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims, and all changes and variations within the meaning and range of equivalency of these claims are therefore encompassed within them.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A retractable sound track reproducing device for movieolas comprising a movieola working plate for the editing thereon of motion picture film, said working plate having openings therein;

magnetic sound head or optical sound head compo nents of said sound track reproducing device projectthrough the openings of said plate when said components are in use, said components being capable of being lowered until their tops are flush with the surface of said movieola working plate through said openings when said components are not in use to form a continuous working plate surface, and said components being capable of being lifted through said openings to above the surface of said movieola working plate when in use;

a platform slidably secured under said movieola working plate for mounting said components of said sound track reproducing device and for vertical reciprocation beneath said movieola working plate; and

means guiding said platform in an upward and downward movement.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said components capable of being lowered and lifted comprise guide rollers, and further comprising:

spindle means rotatably coupled to the guide rollers of said sound track reproducing device and coupled to said platform in a vertically slidable relationship;

upper limit stop means fastened atop said spindle means, above said guide rollers, and abutting against said openings in said movieola working plate during the descent of said platform;

centering means inserted on said spindle means, between said platform and said movieola plate, coacting with the plate portions defining said openings to center said spindle means and said guide rollers to their exact operating position;

lower limit stop means on said spindles; and

stop means to lock the platform in an upper operating position of the sound reproducing device.

3. A device according to claim 2, further comprising spring means placed under said platform to cushion the terminal stretch of its downwards stroke and lift said device partially over said working plane.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a lead screw journaled beneath said working plate, a lead nut rigid with said platform engaging said lead screw, and means to rotate said lead screw. 5

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said components capable of being lowered and lifted comprise a scanning drum containing light gates, and further comprising:

a lamp housing containing an optical system, slidably coupled to said platform and guided within an opening in said movieola plate;

limit stop means journaled in said movieola coacting with abutment means in said lamp housing to position the optical system of said lamp housing correspondingly to the light gates in the scanning drum of the sound reproduction device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,463,717 7/1923 Munn 312-21 X 2,473,625 6/1949 Wheeler.

2,565,304 8/1951 Garstang et al 274-2 X 2,676,022 4/1954 Roberts 274-4 HARRY N. HAROLAN, Primary Examiner 

